Atletico Madrid were the better of the two teams for more than two hours of the stipulated 180 minutes that were played across the two legs but Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez won the game for Barcelona in the other 60 minutes.
Carrying a 2-1 deficit from the first leg, Diego Simeone’s side came out with intent. They tested Jasper Cillessen several times in the opening exchanges but failed to break the deadlock. It was goalless, until Messi decided to take matter into his own hands. He went on one of his trademark runs, leaving defenders in his wake as he made a mockery of the fabled Atletico defence, before unleashing a fierce shot aimed towards the bottom corner. Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Miguel Moya was able to parry it but only as far as an onrushing Suarez, who bundled home with ease.
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However, this did not change the situation as Atletico still needed 2 goals to force the game into extra-time. Sergi Roberto was the first of three players to be sent off during the game as the Spaniard was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence in the 57th minute. Atletico looked to have capitalized on their numerical advantage and equalized in the 59th minute when Antoine Griezmann beat Cillessen with a low shot. However, the linesman had his flag up and the referee ruled it for offside. Replays confirmed that the Frenchman was indeed onside and the officials had made a terrible blunder.
Soon after Yannick Carrasco was sent off after receiving his second yellow card of the game for a foul on Arda Turan. Luis Enrique’s side won a free-kick around 35 yards from goal on the right and Messi stood over it. The diminutive Argentine hit a rocket of a free-kick which cannoned off the underside of the bar before denying Messi of what would easily have been one of his free-kicks till date.
The referee, then, looked to make amends for his previous mistake when he awarded Atletico Madrid a penalty in the 79th minute adjudging Gerard Pique to have fouled Kevin Gameiro inside the box. A decision which was contentious at best. Gameiro stepped up and blazed his penalty over with the ball brushing the crossbar.
Atletico did find the equalizer, only 3 minutes later when Griezmann squared the ball to Gameiro in the six-yard box who had to tap into an empty net. Luis Suarez was the third player to be sent off in the 90th minute, when he was also shown his second yellow card of the night for a foul on Koke. He had received his first warning four minutes earlier in the 87th minute. Despite being down to 9-men, Barcelona held on to secure the win and progress to the final of the Copa del Rey – their fourth consecutive final.
Twitter, as you would expect, didn’t hold back and celebrated the genius of Lionel Messi while loathing the refereeing decisions made during the game. Some questions were also raised about the competence of Luis Enrique.
Here are the best tweets:
That run from Messi....
Barcelona and Copa del Rey final.... a better love story that Real Madrid and Copa del Rey!
And then, there was only one.... Messi
Tactical genius by Luis Enrique? These guys disagree!
And then there were... referees!
